Baby Fever
by Gabsikle
Summary: Third part in the BFB series. Stiles and Derek are on a mission to have their own child while all their friends reproduce.
1. Chapter 1

_**Whelp. Here's the third part in the BFB series. The last one was weddings, this one is babies. I hope you all enjoy. **_

Chapter One

When Stiles' twenty-seventh birthday rolled around, Derek threw him a birthday party. All of his friends gave him cards as gifts. Cards full of money. All the cards mentioned something about the money being "for a baby."

Stiles' dad and Derek's parents just handed him checks.

The exact same thing happened at Derek's birthday party.

The people in their lives were not masters in the art of subtlety.

With the oh-so-subtle push from friends and family, Stiles started to research the cost of surrogacy after work one day.

Derek came home to find Stiles' head facedown on his keyboard. He looked at Becky—Isaac and Danny's foster daughter—who was on the couch with the dogs, Wrinkle their Shar Pei and Fuzz the Chow chow. "What's wrong with Stiles?"

Becky turned to Derek. "He's sulking."

"Why?"

"He found out how much a surrogate will cost. Must be a lot since he made a weird squeak noise before plopping his head on the keyboard. He's been like that for twenty minutes or so."

"Shit." Derek walked over to Stiles and ran a hand up and down his back. "Stiles?"

"The only way we could afford a baby is if we sold all our belongings and lived on the street," Stiles moped.

Derek kissed the back of Stiles' neck. "We'll figure this out."

Stiles sat up and looked at Derek, the indentations of computer keys on his forehead. "I need to get another job."

"Stiles…"

"Just until we have a baby. To get extra cash. I can work during summers too. The Beacon Hills Tutoring Center is always looking for help. They prefer teachers."

"But you teach kindergarten," Becky reminded.

"They don't care about that," Stiles said. "I can teach kids wonderful studying techniques. What do you think, Derek?"

Derek knew that Stiles love having summers off. He could bug his dad, hang out with Becky, and spend time with the dogs. And Derek felt that Stiles needed the break. It gave him time to recharge. "I don't know."

Stiles scowled. "Fuck you. I'm doing it."

"Don't start a fight," Derek said, trying to not take the bait. "I just think that, as a couple, we should discuss this before making any decisions."

"Me bringing it up was the start of the discussion," Stiles argued.

"Stiles, you love having the weekends and summers off. You deal with kids who are five and six for most of the year. You're exhausted by the time summer break hits. Are you sure you want to spend your summer tutoring kids and teens who don't want to be learning?"

"What I _want _is to have a baby," Stiles snapped. "And as two dudes, it costs a shit ton of money to have one. Don't you want a baby? A family?"

"Of course I do," Derek said softly. He wanted it more than anything. He wanted to see a little kid running around with both Hale and Stilinski features. He wanted the unconditional love a child could give. He wanted to see Stiles in the role of father, something he was born for.

"Even if I bitch and hate it," Stiles said, "it'll only be until we can afford the surrogate. Once the baby's close to coming, I'll quit."

Derek saw the desperation in Stiles' eyes. He knew Stiles already made his mind up. "You were going to apply tomorrow whether I agreed with it or not, right?"

"Yeah." Stiles didn't even bother to look guilty.

Derek gave Stiles a kiss. "You are a pain in my ass. Just don't bitch at _me _when you aren't particularly fond of your second job."

The same day Stiles applied for his second job, he and Derek went to the bank and set up a second account where they would put in some money from each paycheck to go towards a surrogate.

…

For Christmas, Stiles and Derek got more money from their friends and family.

"They pity us, don't they?" Stiles questioned Derek.

"No," Derek insisted. "They love us and want to help us out."

"They feel bad for us," Stiles was sure. "Poor Stiles and Derek can't have a baby of their own. It must suck for Stiles and Derek, not being able to afford a surrogate. Let us pray for the sad, unlucky couple."

Derek took the glass of eggnog away from Stiles. "It's not healthy to be bitter on Christmas. And no one feels bad for us. Stop being paranoid."

Stiles frowned. "Can we just go home?"

"Sure."

Lydia and Jackson threw a small New Year's Eve party for their little group of friends. Isla was there too as well as Becky and her friends.

"Can we have champagne at midnight, Isaac?" Becky asked with a sweet tone.

"You're all fourteen," Isaac said to Becky and her friends—two boys named Harry and Jimmy, and a girl named Ryan. "I am not giving you alcohol. Harry's, Jimmy's, and Ryan's parents all trusted Danny and me to keep them safe tonight. They were thrilled that you kids weren't going to some drunken high school party."

Danny grinned and gave Isaac a kiss. "Listen to you, sounding like a dad."

Becky rolled her eyes and turned her eyes away from her foster dads to talk to her friends.

"Erica, why aren't you drinking?" Scott asked.

Stiles had been wondering the same thing, but had feared the answer.

The answer was exactly what Stiles expected, "Well, we think I might be pregnant. We have a doctor's appointment next week."

"That's so exciting," Allison said. "Have you guys been trying, or was it a surprise?"

Erica smiled. "We've been trying. We want another kid before Isla gets too old. So, hopefully, they'll be friends and get along."

"They'll get along as long as Isla doesn't date any of his or her friends," Scott muttered.

Derek gave Scott a kick. "Hey, at least his or her sister and friend will be happy. Stiles and I worked out marvelously."

Stiles gulped some wine. "Hopefully, the new kid won't abandon their own date when catching Isla with their friend."

"That was a traumatic experience for me!" Scott said, referring to the time he caught Derek and Stiles on a date years ago. Stiles and Derek had only just started dating back then. Scott flipped, got in his car, drove off, and left Allison in the parking lot—Derek had to give her a ride.

"Well, I bet the idea of anyone sexing up Stiles grossed him out," Jackson joked. "Derek's clearly the only one who enjoys that body."

"Hey!" Stiles felt the need to defend his sex appeal. "Isaac dug this hot bod."

"_What_?" Becky cried. "Isaac and Stiles? _When_?"

Isaac glared at Stiles. "Great. Thanks, Stiles."

Stiles waved a dismissive hand. "It was in high school," he told Becky. "We were sixteen. Isaac wanted to experiment with his sexual orientation, and Derek wouldn't touch me, so Isaac talked me into practicing the art of sexual intercourse with him. The loss of our virginities was a lovely moment."

"I think I'm gonna vomit," Becky said.

Ryan giggled. "Why?"

"I don't need to think about one of my foster dads and my pseudo-uncle bumping uglies."

"Can we please move on?" Danny begged. "Any topic is fine."

The next week, Stiles got a text from Erica, confirming her pregnancy.

Stiles was man enough to admit that he was jealous. He and Derek didn't have any children. Erica and Boyd were about to have their second. And Isla had been a fucking _accident_.

Not that Stiles didn't adore Isla. He just wanted a baby of his own dammit. It would be the most loved baby in the world. And would have a huge ego from Stiles telling her or him how wonderful and perfect they are. But their kid would be humble about it. Stilinskis were not douches.

Thinking about the lack of baby was making Stiles depressed, so he got to working on his New Year's Resolution. Which was baby-related, naturally.

He was putting himself and Derek on an extreme budget. They would spend no more than they needed each month. And eat a lot less food, and would only buy things that were on sale or could be bought with coupons.

…

During the summer, Becky spent her days at Stiles and Derek's house, even though Stiles worked at the tutoring center during that time.

She fed Wrinkle and Fuzz, played with them, and took them for walks. Sometimes she babysat Isla there, and she usually had at least one friend over.

Stiles enjoyed coming home to the sound of kids. Sometimes they were cursing while playing video games, and sometimes they were splashing in the pool.

It filled some of the emptiness Stiles felt. Until they all went home, that is.

In July, Stiles and Derek went out to dinner with Scott and Allison.

Before they even got their bread, Scott blurted, "Allison's pregnant!"

Stiles tried to remain chipper during the meal. He smiled and laughed and wished his best friend luck.

But on the inside, he was crushed.

When they got home, Stiles immediately crawled into bed. "It hurts."

"I know." Derek got into bed next to Stiles and pulled him close. "It hurts a lot."

"I was sure we'd have a baby before them."

Derek kissed Stiles' forehead. "So was I."

"We're more ready for a baby than they are."

"Very true," Derek agreed. They've been mentally preparing since before they were married.

Derek knew Scott would be a good dad, though. But he'd feel the same pain he was sure Stiles would feel. There would be an ache in his heart seeing his little brother holding a baby. There would be a longing to hold his own child.

"Stupid Scott and his stupid sperm," Stiles mumbled.

Derek chuckled a little. "Yeah."


	2. Chapter 2

_**I don't really have any author's notes… I just hope this isn't boring. **_

Chapter Two

They were at Becky's fifteenth birthday party, and Derek noticed Stiles staring at a very pregnant Erica with sadness. Erica was getting closer to her due date, and Stiles was getting more depressed. Stiles just wanted a baby so badly, and Derek did too. Derek wished he could speed up time to the point where he and Stiles get their child. Then Stiles would be happy.

Isla sat down next to Derek to eat some cake.

"Are you excited about having a little brother soon?" Derek asked her.

Isla groaned and put down her fork. "I'm tired of hearing about the baby. Everyone keeps telling me I'll hafta be careful around the baby. And he's gonna cry all night. I just started kindergarten! I need a good night's sleep! I need to be the best student in Stiles' class!"

Derek smiled at the weird little girl. "You know, I can give you tips about having a little brother."

"Oh yeah?" Isla asked.

"Yup."

From the other side of Isla, Scott snorted.

Derek shot his younger brother a glare before looking back at Isla. "You'll be able to boss your little brother around for a while. When he gets older, you guys can team up with each other to mess with your parents. If you ever want a pet, the two of you can bug them until you get it. You can search for hidden Christmas gifts together. You must remember something, though. While it's fun to pick on a little brother, you should still be nice to him and defend him. Because one day you may need him to cover for you or provide an alibi."

Scott decided to add his two cents, "But you should avoid dating your little brother's best friend. That could traumatize the little guy."

Isla looked at both of them. "You guys are weird." She finished her cake then went to annoy Becky and her friends.

Scott moved closer to Derek. "Hey, Derek?"

"Yes, Scott?"

"I feel bad."

"About what?" Derek asked.

"About me and Allison having a baby. Stiles is just so depressed."

"Scott, you shouldn't feel bad. You and Allison are allowed to start your family."

"Okay," Scott said with a nod. "I can lend you guys some money for a surrogate if you want."

"No. You're gonna need that money for your baby."

After Derek got out of his nightly shower, he saw Stiles in bed with both of the dogs. That left very little room for Derek in the bed, so he had to squeeze in. "I thought we agreed they would not sleep on the bed with us."

"They're the only babies we're going to have for a long time! We might as well embrace it." He wrapped his arms around Wrinkle.

Derek sighed as Fuzz sprawled onto his chest and stomach. "You make it hard for me to breathe when you do that," he told Fuzz.

Fuzz licked Derek's chin in response.

…

Stiles had been excited for Erica's last baby shower, and Derek had been too. For the latest baby shower, Stiles appeared upset and Derek certainly felt bitter.

All around Derek was joy for the soon to be baby boy. Both Erica _and _Boyd were glowing. Isla was even happy as she helped open gifts.

Derek wanted to know that feeling. He didn't want the sense of emptiness anymore. He wanted to decorate one of the spare bedrooms in their house with baby things. He wanted to pick out little baby clothes with Stiles. He wanted to give his own child a bunch of toys based on a theme—like how his mom got him a lot of wolf toys when he was little.

"You guys really need to learn how to put on happy faces for your friends," Lydia said after appearing beside Derek. "Smile and put your man angst aside for a bit."

"Aren't you feeling the need for a baby?" Derek asked her.

Lydia shook her head. "Jackson and I would like to wait a few more years. We're not sure if we're ready to be responsible for another human being. And then we'd have to readjust our schedules for a baby. Are you sure _you're _ready for a kid? Like, one hundred percent sure?"

"Yes," Derek answered without hesitation.

"How did you even decide you were ready?" Lydia sounded like she was conducting an interview.

"Well, I'm in my thirties now. Stiles and I both have steady jobs. We both have so much love to give. We've been together for a long time; we can do this. We can raise a child, and he or she will grow up happily. And maybe find a cure for cancer."

"Damn," Lydia muttered. "You got that dopey look in your eyes during that very… touching speech. You are ready to be a daddy."

Derek sighed. "I know."

When Derek entered their room that night, he was greeted with the sight of Stiles in bed, on his laptop, teary eyed.

"Are you crying?" Derek asked.

"No," Stiles lied.

"What's wrong, Stiles?"

Stiles' frown deepened. "I'm sorry that I can't give you a baby!"

Derek tilted his head much like Fuzz did when he was confused. "Huh?"

"If I was a woman, or if MPREG was real, I could give you a baby."

"Stiles—"

Stiles gestured to his laptop. "Bruce is pregnant with Tony's baby!"

"Are you referring to Iron Man and the Hulk?"

"Yes!" Stiles replied as if Derek was an idiot.

Derek gingerly shut Stiles' laptop and put it aside. "I think you need to take a break from fan fiction for a little while."

Stiles groaned and fell back on the bed. "I'm losing my mind."

Derek got into bed with Stiles and pulled him into an embrace. "I know how you're feeling."

"Do Erica and Boyd, and Scott and Allison even realize how lucky they are?" Stiles wondered. "All they have to do is have sex and then they get a baby. Meanwhile, we have to go through so much shit. And it costs us so much more money. It's not fair."

"That's true," Derek said. "But our child will be the luckiest of all. Our kid will know that they're wanted because we worked so hard to have them. And they'll never doubt our love for them."

Stiles looked at Derek with a smile. "That was some beautiful bullshit."

"Did it help?"

Stiles gave Derek a peck on the lips. "Yup. I actually feel a lot better. And to think I almost forgot why I married you."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Love you too, Stiles."

…

Stiles just got his class back in from recess when the school secretary's voice came over the intercom. Erica's parents were there to pick up Isla. Her little brother was on his way.

Isla leaving sparked all kinds of baby questions from his class. The classic, "Where do babies come from?" was asked. Stiles had to tell them that was a question they should ask their parents.

One little boy asked, "Do you have any babies, Mr. Stilinski?"

_Shoot me in the heart why don't you? _Stiles thought. "Not yet. Now…" He moved on with his lesson plan.

After work, Stiles texted Becky to tell her that he was going to the hospital to see Erica, so she would need to take the bus. He asked her to feed and let the dogs out in case he would be there for a long time.

When Stiles got to the hospital, he was surprised to find out that the baby had already been born. "Jesus. How long were you in labor, Erica?"

Erica's eyes stayed on Boyd who was holding the baby. "The contractions started this morning. But I had to finish this cake at the bakery for a wedding. The bride's a bitch who would've found labor an unacceptable excuse for her cake being late."

"You worked on a cake all day while having contractions?" Stiles was in shock. Erica was crazy.

"Mommy's a badass," Isla announced proudly.

Stiles sighed. "Let's hope this child doesn't get Erica's sailor mouth. What's his name anyway?" He walked over to Boyd and admired the cute, pudgy, baby face.

"This is Marcus," Boyd said.

Stiles smirked. "What? Not another Vernon Boyd?"

"It is time for that name to die," Boyd said with all seriousness.

Stiles felt hands on his shoulders, and instinctively knew it was Derek.

"Marcus is a good name," Derek said. He leaned over Stiles' right shoulder to inspect the baby more carefully. "Is that… _blonde _hair?"

"Apparently," Boyd confirmed with a shrug. "He's a unique little guy."

Derek smiled. "Just like his parents."

Derek saw some of the sadness on Stiles' face. He kissed Stiles' cheek and suggested, "Why don't you go home? I'll pick up dinner."

Stiles turned around and gave Derek a hug. "I want Chinese."

Derek stayed for a little bit after Stiles left. He took pictures of Isla holding Marcus with great care. She had a look of pure adoration in her eyes. Derek knew she'd be an excellent big sister.

Derek made a stop at the nurse's station to see Melissa. "Marcus Boyd is a cutie," he reported.

"I sense something's wrong," Melissa said.

Derek nodded. Melissa had been his mom long enough to know his moods. "I just hate how depressed Stiles is about not having a baby of our own. And I feel like it hurts Stiles a lot more than it hurts me. Am I a huge douche bag?"

"No, honey," Melissa soothed. "I know you want a baby just as much as Stiles does. I just think it's a little different for Stiles. The only family he really has is you and his dad. You had your dad, Scott, Laura, and me for most of your life. Stiles just wants to expand his small family. Stiles has a lot of love to give and not enough people around to receive it."

"Shit. I should've realized that." Derek now felt like a terrible husband.

"I'm sure a part of you knew. Right now, just be there for Stiles. Be understanding."

Derek nodded then said his good-byes to Melissa.

As he picked up the Chinese food, he racked his brain for ways to speed up the process of getting a surrogate. He found he was ready to do _anything _to get Stiles the family he wanted.

Derek got home and went straight for the living room. Stiles was pacing all over, and Becky was sitting on the couch looking guilty.

While the dogs barked and sniffed at him, Derek asked what happened.

Stiles halted his pacing and pointed at Becky. "I arrived home to the sight of Becky making out with some girl on our couch."

"Huh." Derek was taken aback for a second. He hadn't known Becky liked girls. Why did Stiles know and not him? Because Stiles was certainly acting like a person in the know. Was Derek not as close to Becky as he thought?

"I don't know what the big deal is," Becky said, taking Derek out of his thoughts.

"I'll tell you what the big deal is, missy," Stiles snapped.

"_Missy_?" both Becky and Derek repeated.

But Stiles was on a roll, "You can't use our house for your sex-capades!"

"We were only—"

"Hush, you! I am telling Isaac when he comes to pick you up."

"Tell me what?" Everyone—dogs included—turned to look at Isaac.

"Your daughter," Stiles piped up, "was making out with some random chick on my couch while Derek and I weren't home."

Isaac looked at Becky. "You like girls?"

Becky rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm a lesbian. Let's not make a big deal out of it."

"Right," Isaac cleared his throat. "Becky, you shouldn't bring potential girlfriends to someone else's house to make out with when the home owners are gone. And you shouldn't have invited someone over without Stiles' or Derek's knowledge. And you shouldn't be making out alone with someone Danny and I haven't met. You know the rule: no dates until we meet the person."

"I only invited her in because she gave me a ride, and—"

"Regardless. You're grounded for a week."

Isaac smiled after giving out his punishment, though. "So. Tell me about the girl."

Becky grinned. "Her name is Lindsay. She's a junior."

"Ooh. An older girl," Isaac said, impressed.

…

As the weeks passed, Derek considered ways to get more money soon. He narrowed it down to three things: taking out another mortgage on the house, selling some of his organs, or selling drugs. Obviously, none of those things were ideal. And it was even more obvious Derek was getting pretty desperate.

He decided to go to Stiles' dad for advice. Thankfully, they lived across the street from him. "I need your help, Sheriff," Derek announced when he was let in.

"With what?"

"How can I get enough money for us to afford a surrogate? Because Stiles and I are going to lose it if we don't have a kid soon."

The Sheriff smirked. "You order a pizza for the two of us, and I'll tell you about a plan I've been formulating."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello, all. Sorry it's been a while since I last posted a chapter. Work was busy for some time then I got into Rooster Teeth, so I spent a lot of time on YouTube... Anyway, I believe there was a significant break between writing, so if this feels off, that's most likely why. I'll try to do better with the next chapter. **_

Chapter Three

It was early December when Stiles' dad came over for dinner. Stiles was a little surprised to see his dad. He saw his dad everyday, so that wasn't the surprising bit. Usually when his dad came for dinner he brought steak or fried chicken or some kind of ridiculously bad for you dessert. This time, the Sheriff brought a salad. Suspicious.

Derek helped Stiles prepare dinner in the kitchen. Stiles' dad sat at the table and did some baby talk at the dogs. This wasn't unusual. What was unusual, however, were the looks the Sheriff and Derek kept sharing.

Stiles knew something was up. Especially since Derek was not at all shocked by their dinner companion.

They sat down to eat once the food was ready. Derek and the Sheriff kept smiling at each other while they ate. Then they would shoot those smiles at Stiles. No one was even speaking. Only those weird smiles were used as communication.

Stiles threw his fork down. "You guys are really creeping me out. What's going on?"

Derek appeared thrilled. "Your dad and I have an idea. A great idea. An idea to help us afford a surrogate sooner."

Stiles turned to his dad. "And what is this brilliant idea?"

The Sheriff straightened in his seat. "You remember my Uncle Lewis?"

"The douche bag?" Stiles wanted to confirm.

"Yup. Anyway, he died a few months ago."

"Huh," Stiles said. "I didn't know he died."

"Me either. I didn't find out until after his lawyer gave me a call. He didn't have any children, and apparently left all his money to me. And trust me, it's _a lot _of money."

"You could retire!" Stiles suggested. His dad had been Sheriff too long. The man could use a break.

The Sheriff rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm not ready to retire." He waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway. I didn't know what to do with all the money. I really didn't like Lewis. He hated my dad, was rude to my wife, and didn't approve of how I was raising you. But then I started thinking. It'll take you and Derek way too long to afford a surrogate, and you need to be financially stable to have a kid. A lot of money goes to child related things. I can actually put this money to good use by giving it to you and Derek."

"Uncle Lewis hated gay people," Stiles reminded his dad.

"And the perfect fuck you to the man is by helping two guys get a child."

"I don't want to take your money, Dad."

"Think of it as a Christmas gift."

"No."

"Plan B it is," Derek muttered.

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "I'll give you the money as a loan then. One month after the baby is born, you two can start paying me back. In small amounts, mind you. Only as much as you can afford each month. We'll have Derek's father, the lawyer, draw up a contract and everything. You'll be legally obligated to pay me back."

Stiles considered. He didn't want handouts. The two men closest to him clearly knew that, hence this Plan B. Stiles figured that maybe this was the best course of action. He and Derek wouldn't have to wait years for a child. And while the money might not come from them, they'd still ne taking responsibility by paying his dad back. Plus, getting a loan from his dad was better than getting one elsewhere. His dad would trust them and not hassle them about money.

"Okay," Stiles agreed. "That sounds like a good plan."

After his dad left, Stiles crossed his arms at Derek. "You're a sneaky bastard."

Derek put his hands on Stiles' shoulders. "I went to your dad because I hated seeing you so sad. And I want a baby too. It hurt so much waiting, you know?"

"I know," Stiles whispered.

Derek gave Stiles a kiss. "I'm ready to start a family with you. We've waited long enough."

…

A week before Christmas, Derek's dad drew up the contract. Once that was taken care of, Derek and Stiles agreed to wait until after the holidays to start interviewing surrogates.

That same day, Danny and Isaac asked everyone over to their house.

Stiles was taken aback when he saw two children he didn't know. "Um. Isaac?"

"We got some last minute foster children," Danny said while eyeing Isaac.

"They needed a home," Isaac quietly hissed to Danny. Obviously Isaac hadn't consulted Danny about the kids.

Derek looked at the kids and took them in. Becky was holding the baby boy, and a slightly older boy was sitting on the floor frowning. They both had bandages on them. Derek had heard talk at the hospital. And there had been a news story. "Are they…?"

Isaac nodded. "Steve is six and Drew is one. It was their house that caught fire a few days ago. Their parents didn't make it; they were trapped. Their mom had Steve carry Drew out.

"No other foster parents were willing to take them in during the holidays. I couldn't let them spend Christmas in a children's home." Isaac looked at Danny. "They'll only be with us until we find family that will take them."

"You can't take all of your cases home with you," Danny argued in a quiet voice.

Danny and Isaac continued to fight until all of their friends arrived—Becky's friends too.

Isaac gathered everyone in the living room to introduce Steve and Drew.

"They lost all of their belongings in the fire," Isaac announced. "We need help putting together bedrooms and getting clothes and toys. Maybe get them some Christmas gifts?"

Everyone was divided into groups. Erica and Allison stayed with the boys plus Marcus and Isla. Isla managed to get Steve and Drew to play with her. Lydia, Jackson, Boyd, and Danny went out to pick out furniture they could take home that day. Stiles, Derek, Scott, and Isaac got clothes, shoes, diapers, and toys. Becky and her friends worked on clearing out two bedrooms.

They all spent the whole day working, and managed to get the essentials.

Stiles felt bad for the little boys. He knew the pain of losing a parent, and couldn't imagine losing both. He said as much to Derek.

"Yeah," Derek agreed. "And they lost their parents so quickly. You and I at least had some time to cope before out moms died. We knew it was coming. These boys didn't."

"We need to buy them awesome Christmas gifts," Stiles suggested. "Even if they're only with Isaac and Danny for a short time, they deserve a nice Christmas."

Stiles' Christmas with Derek, his dad, and all the Hales was great. What had happened with Isaac and Danny's new foster kids reminded him how lucky he was, and to be grateful for everything he had.

He and Derek went over to Danny and Isaac's house the evening of Christmas Day. They had gifts for Becky, Steve, and Drew.

Drew definitely seemed happier than Steve. It was clear Steve really felt the loss of his parents.

"We found some of their relatives," Isaac told Stiles that night. "But no one is willing to take them."

"Why won't anyone take them?" Stiles wondered, appalled. "They're two little boys who lost their parents."

Isaac winced a little. "It seems like none of their dad's family approved of their mom. Their mom was born in Puerto Rico, and their dad's family seemed like racist snobs."

"Well, what about their mom's family?"

"She was an only child. Her dad died when she was young, and her mom died a few years ago. It doesn't look like she had anyone else."

Stiles watched as Derek played with Drew, and Steve frowning at them. "Are you and Danny gonna keep them if you can't find anyone?"

"We're considering it now that Danny isn't mad at me anymore. But we're going to give it at least a year in case anyone changes their mind," Isaac said. "If that happens, we'll just give them a good and happy home until someone takes them."

…

After the New Year, school started up again. Danny and Isaac registered Steve into Beacon Hills Elementary, and the boy ended up in Stiles' class. So Stiles was now in charge of driving both Becky and Steve home.

During the drive after the first day back, Stiles realized that Becky seemed upset.

"What's bothering you, Becky?" Stiles asked eventually.

Becky looked at Steve in the backseat then appeared to choose her words carefully. "I was, um, doing _things _with Lindsay at a New Year's Eve party. When it was getting pretty hot and heavy Lindsay went to, uh, touch me. I kinda freaked out a little because I got a flashback to my dad and what he did. Lindsay got all mad that I was upset and didn't feel comfortable telling her why. So apparently, Lindsay has gone and told everyone she knows that I'm afraid of s-e-x. And now a lot of the school is making fun of me."

Stiles kind of wanted to punch this Lindsay bitch. And the rest of the high school. "How are your friends acting about all of this?" He needed to know if he should add three more names to his hit list.

"They're still on my side," Becky informed Stiles. "I mean, I think they realize there's something more going on with me. They're just not asking. And I'm not sure I even want to tell them what happened to me."

"Maybe you should tell them," Stiles suggested. "I know it'll probably be hard, but you trust them, right?"

"Yeah."

"And they're good people. They'll be understanding."

Becky frowned while thinking. "I don't want them to look at me differently. _You _looked at me differently when you found out. You know, with all that pity for the poor abuse victim."

"What you had been through made me sad," Stiles told Becky. "Because no one should have to experience what you did. But I know there's more to you than what happened. And I don't look at you like that anymore, do I?"

"No."

"Your friends might look at you a little differently for a bit, but it'll only be because they'll be upset you went through that."

A few days later, Becky informed Stiles that she told her friends.

"They were really understanding," Becky said. "And promised to keep it to themselves."

Stiles smiled. "I'm glad it went well."

Becky nodded in agreement. "Now they've really started defending me against the bullies. Harry and Jimmy got suspended for beating up a dude who was harassing me. And Ryan told this one girl off so badly she made her cry. It was brutal. And people hardly mess with me anymore."

"Did I ever tell you how much I approve of your choice of friends?"

…

Derek and Stiles began interviewing surrogates in February. It hadn't been going well, and Derek blamed Stiles entirely.

Stiles was being extremely picky and would ask bizarre questions or make weird demands. Derek was pretty sure Stiles scared two or three women away.

They met several women throughout the month, and Stiles decided that every single one of them wasn't good enough.

It was now March and they were cleaning up the house for another meet with a possible surrogate.

"She just needs to be perfect," Stiles said just as he had the last several times. "This woman will be housing our baby. We have to make sure she's not a drug addict or a serial killer or some crazy using us to get a free baby."

Derek shut his eyes and sighed. "Do I need to ban you from TV and the Internet? I know that's where you're getting all your insane ideas."

"Taking TV and the Internet away from me would drive _you _insane."

"And that's the only logical thing you'll say today," Derek mumbled.

The dogs began to bark before the doorbell rang. Derek managed to beat Stiles to the door. He immediately said to the woman, "I apologize in advance for all the things my husband will say."

"Okay," the woman said, sounding amused as she pet the dogs. As Derek looked at her he was surprised at how young she appeared.

As Stiles corralled them into the living room Derek asked, "How old are you, um…"

"Jill," she told Derek as she sat down at the armchair. "And I'm twenty-four."

Stiles put on the interrogation face he inherited from his father. "You're pretty young. Why be a surrogate?"

"Well, I don't want kids of my own," Jill said. "So I figured I'd put my uterus to good use while it's in top condition."

Stiles nodded. "Right. And you're cool doing this for two guys?"

Jill grinned. "I actually requested a same sex couple."

"Why is that?" Derek asked.

"My brother and his husband had some trouble adopting a few years ago. I just wanted to help another couple get a baby with hopefully less stress."

Derek smiled. So far he was liking Jill.

"You know," Stiles began, and Derek knew the crazy was on its way. "My dad's the Sheriff. If you were to run off with _our _baby, we would find you. And there would be hell to pay."

Jill scratched Fuzz's head. "Good thing I don't plan on running off with your baby."

Stiles stared her down for about a minute. "Hmm. So. I have some things I want our surrogate to do."

"Alright." Jill sat back, ready for Stiles' demands.

"I want us to be at every appointment you have that's baby related."

"Sounds logical," Jill said.

"I want you to check in with us weekly. I would like you to be on a meal plan. I would also like to have a meet up once or twice a week so the baby can hear our voices. You know what? I'm gonna record our voices, and I want you to play it for the baby as much as possible. When the baby first kicks—call us, film it, whatever."

"And there will be more demands from Stiles throughout the pregnancy," Derek warned Jill.

Jill shrugged. "Whatever it is, I'll do it. It's your baby, I'll take care of it the way you want."

Stiles stood up and started clapping. "Congratulations! We have elected you to carry our baby!"

"I don't remember voting," Derek teased. "But seriously. Thank God Stiles finally picked someone."

They got the contract several weeks later, and scheduled an appointment to have the embryos implanted in Jill.

In April, Allison gave birth to a baby girl named Holly. This time, Stiles and Derek weren't sad. They were excited. Soon it would be their time.

In May, Jill became pregnant.


End file.
